Longer, more specific keywords WORK because Google ranks your pages, not the size of your business.

Put another way – Google wants to present its customers with the best website based on their search query.

If your brand excels at designing and selling “beautiful dinosaur-inspired shoes for men in New York”, Google will rank your site over Zappos for this search term (and I’ll be at your doorstep, because I NEED the freshest T-rex kicks).

Google doesn’t care if the company employs 5 people or 5,000 people.

All that matters is that the content on your pages is RELEVANT and focused.

So, take a look at these key phrases:

+ Cheap shoes Queens, New York

+ Robust men’s shoes, Chicago

+ Chicago shoes for men with small feet

These are more precise.

But why will more specific keywords yield results?

Because they reflect your NICHE.

The thing that sets you apart from your competitors.

The qualities your business has that the bigger brands don’t.

So while the larger companies may have a beefed up marketing budget, they lack one thing you already have in abundance – FOCUS.

Focusing On Your Niche

So you may be wondering how you can fine-tune your niche to attract a new customer base to your website.

Well, when it comes to great SEO, content is still KING.

Matt Cutts says that you can outrank big sites, because they fail in delivering fresh content – and while I disagree, because bigger websites roll out FRESH content daily without a twitch – they lack focus.

They simply can’t cover every single base.

Here are a few tips on how to OWN your niche.

+ Be more agile than competitors. Create interesting content that pertains to your business and post REGULARLY. Running out of ideas? Well, how about creating posts that reflect the news? Recent developments in tech? Sports? Running?

+ Be creative. Post content that ENGAGES your reader. Content that is naturally linked to – encourage them to comment, like, re-post. Ask them to share your posts on social media, or run a weekly “Customer of the Week” competition, where you award a small prize.

+ Keep it LOCAL. Keep abreast of any local developments that reflect your business brand. Upcoming marathon being held in your city? Then post an article about the importance of high quality and durable footwear.

+ Contact influencers in your niche. Start small and slowly move on to the big players. Write a post about them and link to their material. Write them a mail telling about it. You’ll get noticed and attract new business.

+ Start from the bottom and grow vertically. Own your niche completely, become a capacity, and don’t leave any crumbs to your competitors.

Remember – unlike the CEOs of the larger companies, you know your audience like the back of your hand.

Why?

Because you deal with customers every day.

You speak to them, answer their mails, immerse yourself in the industry – you’ve got the extreme customer service. Right?

You know what your particular target group wants, and you understand their buying habits.

The big boys usually outsource their customer service, but you can focus on the individual needs of your customers through daily engagement.

So stay authentic, and be approachable.

Understanding your competition

Larger companies often have a public relations department and will issue press releases when an upcoming product is about to be launched, or if there is a significant development in the business.

Stay one step AHEAD of your competition by using tools like Google Alerts.

You’ll keep tabs on the market leaders, and adapt your own business to consumer demand.

But that’s not all.

Don’t JUST focus on the major companies.

Do your research on anybody related to your niche – even the smaller locally based companies.

Find out which sites link to those of your competitors, and go get those links.

Get in contact – email, guest posts, events.

Grow a Brand and a Following

Don’t over-complicate things.

Simplicity is key if you want your customers to spread the word about your business.

+ Create a brand identity – remember, no two companies are the same, so advertise your unique qualities. It’s much easier to rank for “MYBRAND shoes for men” than “shoes for men”.

+ Use short URLs – these promote sharing on Facebook and Twitter.

+ Send out short and snappy messages to your social media followers.

Takeaways

One of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is that Google prefers big company websites.

In fact, search engines aim to present their users with good, unique content, regardless of whether a brand is established.

Small companies like yours need to attract customers by using the right keywords, and creating unique, relevant and interesting niche content that will be read, shared and commented on.

A huge marketing budget isn’t unnecessary – but rather a comprehensive understanding of your niche, your audience, your rivals and potential partners, as well as your Shaq-sized competitors.